Method of forming name plates



Jan. 13, 1953 E. PENKER 2,624,935

METHOD OF FORMING NAME PLATES 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1947 lwuINVENTOR. Ernesi Fezzker Jan. 13, 1953 E. PENKER 2,624,935

METHOD OF FORMING NAME PLATES Filed on. 10, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 JIM/g.a M

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 METHOD OF FORMING NAME PLATES Ernest Penker,Queens County, N. Y., assig'nor to Etched Products Corporation, LongIsland City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 10,1947, Serial No. 778,997

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the formation and finishing of ornamentalcharacters, particularly those adapted to be attached as grouped to formthe identifying mark for an article of commerce.

Such characters are generally prepared by stamping or die cutting metalstrips, followed by plating and/or polishing. The fabricating, includingplating and polishing of the characters has hitherto been an expensiveand time consuming operation, due to the individual handling of eachcharacter. Various means and methods have been proposed to decrease thecost and time of the fabricating plating and polishing operations, buthave been generally unsatistained on the strip may be processed muchmore easily and quickly than could the characters individually, and theindividual characters may on completion of processing be maintained inseparably connected formation until ready for application as the, orpart of the indicia for an article of commerce.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a method forprocessing from a strip a number of individual characters adapted foruse as or part of indicia wherein the characters are formed andmaintained in group formation with respect to a reinforcing supporttherefor during a sequence of operations and put to separation at thetime of application to an article of commerce.

This and other objects, advantages and novel features of the inventionwill be apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a metal bar adapted to have ornamentalcharacters formed thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bar as formed with a reinforcingflange according to one method embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bar with a series of characters formed onits surface.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-section of a step in the method.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the strip after another step.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-section of a further step.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the strip after the step shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-section of another method step.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the strip after the step of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-section of a further method step.

Figs. 11 and 13 are plan and elevation views, respectively, of the stripafter processing as in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-section of a step in the severing of thecharacters from each other.

Fig. 14 is a horizontal sectional view through the reinforced stripafter the step of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is an inverted perspective view of a finished character.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a step in another method of applyingthe strip reinforcing fiange according to the invention.

The principles of the invention will be best understood by reference tothe particular embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 16in which the character bearing strip is formed with an integralreinforcing flange.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 16, the method starts with asubstantially rectangular bar of some suitable base metal such ascopper, brass, bronze or the like. Bar 30 is passed through suitableforming rollers which shape it into the form shown in Fig. 2, providinga character bearing cross bar 3| and an integral reinforcing flange 3'2perpendicular to cross bar 3|.

Bar 30 is then again subjected to die pressure which reduces thethickness of cross bar 3| and increases its width. At the same time,embossings (Fig. 3), which are preliminary formations of ornamentalcharacters, are formed on the outer surface of cross bar 3|. Strip orbar 30 is thus given its preliminary formation.

In the next step of the method, as shown in Fig. 4, flange 32 issubjected to the pressure of laterally movable dies 31, 31, which reducethe flange thickness and increase its depth. In a similar step-which, tosimplify the drawing, has

not been shown, cross bar 3| with characters 35 is reduced in overallthickness. In a typical embodiment, the cross bar thickness is reducedto 0.159.

The weight of metal in flange 32 is then reduced by die punching holesin the flange in alternate longitudinal relation with characterformations 35 so that stems are formed substantially centered onformations 35 and interconnected by longitudinal flange strips. As asimilar and. the final lattice punching operation is shown in detail inFig. 6, the just described operation has not been shown on the drawings.Following this step, the edges of character formations35are trimmed bythe use of shearing dies (not shown).

The strip 30 is then annealed and pickled to soften the metal. Followingsuch softening, the cross bar 3| and its formations are further reducedin thickness, for example to 0.132". Another die forming operationfurther reduces the cross bar thickness to a lesser value, such as0.122", for example, and at the same time sharpens the character detail,as shown in Fig, 5, to form actual characters 45. A shearing die trimsthe metal from around the character edges as at 4| in Fig. 5.

The strip is now given a second annealing and pickling to soften it,following which cross bar 3! is subjected to die pressure to furtherreduce its thickness (to 0.107, for example) and to sharpen thecharacter details.

The previously formed openings in flange 32 are now enlarged to form thelattice formation, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. For this purpose, bar 30is clamped in dies 42, 43, with flange 32 horizontally overlying aseries of holes 44 in die 43. An upper die 56, including shears 41 andaspring biased guide 48, then descends on die 43 so that guide 48 restson flange 32 and shears 41 punch metal from the flange through holes 4.4This forms rectangular windows in flange 32, leaving stems 52 unitingeach character 45 to a 1ongitudinal strip 53 of flange 32.

The outer edges of characters 45 are then trimmed, as shown in Figs. 8and 9. For this purpose, strip 30 set on a die 56 with flange 32 set ina groove 57. A second die 58 comprising shears BI and a guide 62 thenmoves toward die 56 so that shears GI and the metal from around theedges of characters 45. By a similar die arrangement, the interiors andedges of such characters E, R and G are trimmed, after which characterssuch as M, "N and T are trimmed.

In the next step of the method, the metal of cross bar 31 betweenadjacent characters is removed, as shown in Fig. 10. Bar 30 is placed ina die 66 having longitudinally spaced openings 31 aligned with the metalof cross bar 3| joining adjacent characters. Cross bar 3| rests on aspacer 68 and flange strip 53 rests in a recess 69. A die H includingshears i2 and a guide or set 13 moves toward die 65, and shears 12 cutthe metal of cross bar 3| from between characters 45. This leavesCharacters 45 joined to strip 53 only by therefrom individually forsubsequent placement on an article. This step is shown in Fig. 12. Thestrip is placed on a die 76 with tongues 52 extending over a support '57so that strip 53 is parallel thereto and rests on a spring biasedsupport 18. An upper die 8| is provided, including a spring biased guideor set 82 having a vertica1 flange 83 equal in width to the length oftongues 52 between strip 53 and characters 45. A bending member 84 isarranged adjacent set 82. Preferably, members 82 and 83 haveinterfilling serrations aligned with tongues 52.

As die 88 moves toward die 15, member 84 laterally displaces strip 53relative to tongues 52 in a shearing action, as shown in Figs. 14 and15, which essentially define a series of offset serrations so that onlythin metal sections unite the tongues to strip 53. Thus, when thecharacters are to be mounted on the article, they may be easilyseparated from strip 53 by a slight bending movement. A thus separatedcharacter is shown in Fig. 16.

In a modification oi the invention shown in Fig. 17. the cross bar 3i,which is shown inverted and the reinforcing flange 32' are provided asseparate members, the former being grooved at its rear as at 26, and thelatter being in the form of a partially latticed element having stems 52projecting from a base 53', the reinforcing flange being applied to thecross bar by welding the heads of the stems 52' into the groove 26, withsuch heads being disposed in alignment and at the rear of the positionwhere the respective letters are to be formed.

The step of attaching the reinforcing flange 32' to the cross bar 3! maybe effectuated in lieu of the steps of Figs. 1 and 2 or, the cross bar 3l may be treated in the preliminary character forming steps of Figs. 3to 9, and thereafter the reinforcing flange 32 say be applied in themanner aforementioned. By the use of this embodiment of my method, aminimum of metal stock is used and certain working steps in relation tothe metal to form the reinforcing flange are eliminated.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail, to illustrate the principles of the invention, itwill be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied withoutdeparting from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of forming ornamental characters comprising reinforcing arelatively thin metal strip by providing a metal flange extendingperpendicularly to one surface of said strip; forming a series ofcharacters along the other surface of said strip; punching a series ofapertures through said flange in alternate relation with the characterson the strip to form a latticed support for the characters; trimming thestrip metal from the longitudinal edges of the characters; removing themetal of said strip between said characters; finishing the processing ofthe characters while still secured together by said latticed flange; andshearingly serrating and offsetting the base of said latticed flange toleave thin metal sections uniting the base to the characters.

2. The method of forming ornamental characters which comprisesreinforcing a relatively thin metal strip by providing a metal flangeextending perpendicularly to one surface of said strip; forming a seriesof characters along the other surface of said strip; reducing thethickness of the flange; reducing the thickness of the strip; punching aseries of apertures through said flange in alternate relation with thecharacters on the strip; trimming the strip metal from the longitudinaledges of the characters; again reducing the thickness of the strip;again trimming the strip metal from the longitudinal edges of thecharacters; again reducing the thickness of the strip; enlarging suchapertures to form transverse strips of flange material uniting eachletter to a longitudinal strip of flange material; trimming the stripmetal from around the characters; removing the metal of said stripbetween said characters; plating and polishing the characters whilestill secured together by said strip of flange material; and serratingand offsetting such longitudinal strip or' flange material to partiallysever it from the flange strips projecting from the under surfaces ofthe characters.

3. The method of forming ornamental characters, for a nameplate or thelike, which comprises forming a longitudinal groove centrally of onesurface of said strip; securing the ends of the stems of an openlatticed flange within said groove, forming a series of characters onthe opopsite surface of the metal strip, with each stem substantiallycentrally aligned with a char- 6 acter, said latticed flange extendingperpendicularly to said strip; processing the characters while stillsecured together by said latticed flange; and shearingly serrating andoffsetting the base of said latticed flange at the zone of the stemsthereof to partially sever the base from said stems.

ERNEST PENKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

